Kochi: The state government has constituted a multi-agency Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the high-profile Kochi organ-trafficking and document-forgery case. The home department has issued an order constituting the SIT, which will be headed by District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) SP KS Sudarshan. 

The move comes after the police found that a syndicate headed by broker Mohammed Najeeb Kallatra, a Kasaragod native, forged official documents to facilitate illegal kidney transplants, including surgeries allegedly carried out despite the Kerala High Court denying permission in at least one case.

With the SIT, the police seek to unravel what the government describes as an organised crime network with suspected national and international links, involving forged identity documents, financial transactions through hawala and cryptocurrency, and possible collusion by multiple stakeholders.

The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary Minhaj Alam IAS on behalf of the Governor, follows investigations launched after police raids conducted in the limits of the Kunnathunad, Vadakkekkara and Ambalamedu police stations.

According to the government order, raids carried out under the direction of the State Police Chief resulted in the registration of three criminal cases at the Kunnathunad and Vadakkekkara police stations. Subsequent investigations allegedly uncovered a well-organised network that forged official records to facilitate illegal organ transplants.

The order states that the alleged kingpin of the racket arranged forged transplant documents for around 35 individuals. To bypass the statutory approval process, the syndicate allegedly used fake letterheads of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), besides forged village certificates, marriage certificates and SSLC books.

Investigators have also alleged that recipients were charged around ₹15 lakh for each kidney transplant. Of this amount, ₹10 lakh was paid to the donor, while intermediaries retained the remaining ₹5 lakh.

The police also raided commercial firms and establishments allegedly involved in preparing the forged documents and seized material considered crucial to the investigation.

The government order highlights one case involving a woman from Vadakkekkara, who was allegedly persuaded by the main broker to sell her kidney to a recipient from Kasaragod for ₹10 lakh.

According to the order, although the Kerala High Court had refused permission for the transplant, the surgery was allegedly carried out using fabricated documents. The donor was also allegedly given specialised ‘training’ to help her evade cross-examination and mislead the clinical evaluation committee during the approval process.

The government has also expressed suspicion that the local network is linked to a larger international organ trafficking syndicate operating under the guise of medical tourism. According to the order, the racket allegedly targeted economically vulnerable people by offering them money to donate organs to foreign patients brought to Kerala. 

The police suspect that forged or misused identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, passports and visas, were used to establish fake kinship between unrelated donors and recipients.

The order further alleges that financial transactions were routed through hawala channels, cryptocurrency and offshore foreign bank accounts, while communication among agents took place through encrypted platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. The SIT has also been tasked with determining whether those arrested in Kerala are linked to a wider international network operating across several countries.

Considering the seriousness of the allegations and their possible international ramifications, the government has directed that the probe be headed by an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.

The investigation team will comprise officers from the Cyber Cell, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), State Intelligence, and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). The Cyber Cell will analyse digital forensic evidence, call detail records and encrypted communications, while the EOW will investigate hawala transactions, cryptocurrency transfers and banking trails. State Intelligence will provide strategic intelligence inputs, and the AHTU will investigate allegations of donor exploitation and human trafficking.

The SIT has been directed to carry out a comprehensive scientific investigation into the alleged racket. Its mandate includes verifying the biological relationship between donors and recipients in previous transplant cases, examining the possible role of private hospitals, doctors and administrative personnel, analysing call detail records and other electronic evidence, and identifying foreign-based brokers and overseas links.

The government has further directed the SIT to coordinate with central agencies, the Health Department, medical experts, digital forensic scientists and the prosecution department. The State Police Chief has been asked to monitor the progress of the investigation and submit periodic, time-bound reports to the government.